Page 4086 - Week 09 - Thursday, 26 August 2010
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In paragraph 4.11, the report goes on to say:
The Committee sought assurance that there had been no manipulation to the data provided by ACTAS and the Auditor-General confirmed that this was correct and that the methodology had not been ‘invented’.
And in paragraph 4.12, the committee goes on to say:
Whilst some stakeholders may disagree with the findings of an Audit report, on the basis of a difference of opinion, and may publicly express their concerns, the Committee believes that unjustified criticism of the Office of the Auditor-General is not appropriate.
Mr Corbell’s behaviour was not appropriate. Indeed, paragraph 4.14 states:
The Committee is of the view that the issues surrounding the integrity of the methodology … as recorded in ACTAS systems, are a vindication of the important role that the Auditor-General plays in promoting public accountability in the administration of the Territory.
It is a very sound report. It does draw some links to the GP shortage and the effect that the GP shortage is having upon ambulance services. Indeed, para 4.58 says:
In evidence, the TWU told the Committee that paramedics are frequently seeing people because they cannot get to the local doctor or because they don’t want to wait in the emergency department.
There is another damning indictment of how the government has failed the people of the ACT. I go to paragraph 4.84 now:
During the course of the inquiry the Committee became aware that the ESA had conducted a station feasibility study to examine the practicality of the geographical location of all emergency services facilities.
On this, while I agreed with what I was able to get into the report, I have contributed some additional comments because I believe that the committee fell a little bit short of what it should have said in regard to the behaviour of Mr Corbell and, in addition, what we found out while the committee inquiry was on. It appears that there are some quite clear contradictions in things that Mr Corbell has said to various committees over various times. Of course, committees represent the Assembly.
We did find out a little bit about the station relocation. We had comments from the TWU—that they thought that the station relocation was fine and that the minister should simply get on with it. And it is important that we do get these locations right. But when researching the whole issue—indeed, during some of the public discussion that often follows such an inquiry—we found that on the ABC morning radio program with Ross Solly on 31 May we had the minister saying, “Well, I was briefed on the station relocation feasibility study final report.” They are my words. His full quote was:
… I was briefed on the Report around the beginning of 2009 and that was then something I looked at very closely.
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